GMA's Rant And Wrath
Yesterday, the president issued her strongest criticism yet of media who continue to cast her and her government in a bad light, likening them to doomsayers and to that little chicken who kept insisting the sky is falling.
This is a rant by any definition. If the president’s statements were opaque on her alleged illicit participation in the last presidential polls, her statements regarding media’s cynical attitude towards her and her government were transparently clear that she will no longer brook media’s protracted belligerent conduct.
Divide and conquer is what the president’s men will most likely do. It is all too simple. Take the case of the print media. You have the Philippine Daily Inquirer pitted against the Philippine Star. The president has obviously favored the latter and rewarded its publisher with the supreme compliment of interviewing her upon her arrival from New York.
On the other hand, the Inquirer continues to pound the president especially its editorials and where its columnists with, perhaps the exception of 2 columnists, have no love lost for GMA. While Malaya and Tribune continue to pester the president, its circulation is not massive enough to merit greater public attention. This is quite unfortunate considering that they sometimes have scoops that even the Palace had occasionally denied.
In the case of broadcast media, the most likely plan is just to take advantage of the “take-no-prisoner” media war between GMA7 and ABS-CBN. A head-on collision with media will not likely win points for her, as can be gauged by media’s reaction on the Julius Babao affair. A proxy war or a low intensity conflict is a better and prudent approach to silencing the enemy.
The wrath of the president against the media is forthcoming especially after her rant. She need not lift a finger to make life miserable for her enemies. Her knights will do it for her. Her rant is but a signal for them to initiate cutting down media to size.
I am reminded of the story of Henry II of England in his rants against his nemesis, Thomas à Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. In anger and exasperation, he exclaimed: “Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?” Immediately upon hearing his rant, four of his knights proceeded to murder the archbishop inside the Canterbury Cathedral.
Is a government conspiracy to wage war on the media underway? Looks like it, GMA has ranted, her wrath her men will grant.
This is a rant by any definition. If the president’s statements were opaque on her alleged illicit participation in the last presidential polls, her statements regarding media’s cynical attitude towards her and her government were transparently clear that she will no longer brook media’s protracted belligerent conduct.
Divide and conquer is what the president’s men will most likely do. It is all too simple. Take the case of the print media. You have the Philippine Daily Inquirer pitted against the Philippine Star. The president has obviously favored the latter and rewarded its publisher with the supreme compliment of interviewing her upon her arrival from New York.
On the other hand, the Inquirer continues to pound the president especially its editorials and where its columnists with, perhaps the exception of 2 columnists, have no love lost for GMA. While Malaya and Tribune continue to pester the president, its circulation is not massive enough to merit greater public attention. This is quite unfortunate considering that they sometimes have scoops that even the Palace had occasionally denied.
In the case of broadcast media, the most likely plan is just to take advantage of the “take-no-prisoner” media war between GMA7 and ABS-CBN. A head-on collision with media will not likely win points for her, as can be gauged by media’s reaction on the Julius Babao affair. A proxy war or a low intensity conflict is a better and prudent approach to silencing the enemy.
The wrath of the president against the media is forthcoming especially after her rant. She need not lift a finger to make life miserable for her enemies. Her knights will do it for her. Her rant is but a signal for them to initiate cutting down media to size.
I am reminded of the story of Henry II of England in his rants against his nemesis, Thomas à Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. In anger and exasperation, he exclaimed: “Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?” Immediately upon hearing his rant, four of his knights proceeded to murder the archbishop inside the Canterbury Cathedral.
Is a government conspiracy to wage war on the media underway? Looks like it, GMA has ranted, her wrath her men will grant.
posted by Edwin Lacierda | 1:18 AM
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